An updated checklist for the pseudoscorpion fauna of Hungary (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones)
Author
Novák, János
text
Zootaxa
2024
2024-04-04
5433
1
51
95
http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5433.1.2
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.5433.1.2
1175-5326
12A37ADF-99A9-4A4D-A8CC-E2C98B8B6D31
Beierochelifer quadrimaculatus
(Tömösváry, 1882)
comb nov.
Chelifer quadrimaculatus
Tömösváry, 1882a: 196–198
;
Tömösváry 1882b: 227–228
;
Daday 1918: 2
.
Rhacochelifer quadrimaculatus
:
Beier 1932b: 264–265
;
Beier 1963a: 296
;
Szalay 1968: 67
;
Harvey 1991: 530
;
Christophoryová
et al.
2011b: 37
;
Harvey 2013
;
Novák & Dányi 2018: 319
; Krajčovičová
et al.
2017: 40;
Červená
et al
. 2020a: 226
.
Rhacochelifer corcyrensis
: Krajčovičová
et al.
2017: 40.
Remarks:
This species
Rhacochelifer quadrimaculatus
was described by
Tömösváry (1882b)
from Homonna, which is now located in
Slovakia
. As this town was part of the Hungarian Kingdom at that time, most of the subsequent literature has listed
R. quadrimaculatus
as a member of the Hungarian pseudoscorpion fauna (
Beier 1932b
,
1963a
;
Harvey 1991
,
2013
). However, it was not listed for
Hungary
in the latest world catalogue (WPC 2023). The
type
specimen is lost (
Novák & Dányi 2018
), and no subsequent data regarding the species has been published. Krajčovičová
et al.
(2017) suggested that
R. quadrimaculatus
might represent specimens of the East-Mediterranean
R. corcyrensis
(Beier, 1930)
, referring to the similarity of the male leg I tarsi of the two taxa. Depending on the accuracy of Tömösváry’s illustration, the dorso-distal projection of the male tarsus of the first walking leg is more pronounced in
R
.
quadrimaculatus
, and contributes to a more concave shape to the distal end of the tarsus than in
R
.
corcyrensis
. However, the process depicted on Fig. 4 of Tömösváry’s original description shows similarities with that of
Beierochelifer peloponnesiacus
(Beier, 1929)
. Nevertheless, the asymmetry in the claws which characterizes the genus
Beierochelifer
was not mentioned or illustrated in Tömösváry’s description. The shape of the pedipalpal femur depicted by
Tömösváry (1882b
, fig. 6) is more similar to
B. peloponnesiacus
than to
R
.
corcyrensis
, as the femur widens broadly after the pedicel, and not gradually.
Tömösváry (1882b)
did not include morphometric data of the
type
specimen, but
Beier (1932b)
reported that the palpal femur of
R. quadrimaculatus
is 3–3.1 times longer than broad, while this value is
2.2–2.6 in
B. peloponnesiacus
(
Beier 1932b
)
. We do not know whether Beier had the opportunity to measure the
type
specimen itself, or calculated this data from Tömösváry’s original figures. However, anatomical figures of pseudoscorpion species from the 19th century were less accurate than modern pseudoscorpion line drawings, and therefore might lead to inaccurate estimates of morphometric data. The weight of evidence that
C. quadrimaculatus
is identical with
B. peloponnesiacus
is supported by the recent report of
B. peloponnesiacus
from
Slovakia
(Krajčovičová
et al
. 2017). On the contrary, there are no published records of
R. corcyrensis
from
Slovakia
or any neighbouring countries. Therefore, the synonymy of
C. quadrimaculatus
with
R. corcyrensis
is refuted, and
C. quadrimaculatus
is regarded as a senior synonym of
B. peloponnesiacus
, thus forming the new combination
Beierochelifer quadrimaculatus
(Tömösváry, 1882)
comb
.
nov
.